Sports Media Wants Derek Jeter to Cry

Feb 20, 2014

RUSH: Let’s go to Tampa. As you know, Derek Jeter has announced his retirement from the New York Yankees. Yesterday he held his retirement press conference, although it wasn’t called that, but I mean that’s what it was. And, honestly, the sports media is upset that Derek Jeter didn’t get emotional and cry at his retirement press conference. Here’s CBS correspondent Jon Heyman talking to Derek Jeter.

HEYMAN: We’ve seen a lot of these over the years of all-time greats retire, Mike Schmidt comes to mind, but others as well, who were very emotional. You’re not an emotional person, at least it is not outwardly. Do you feel more emotional inside than a normal day? ‘Cause you’re not really showing that, if you are.

JETER: You trying to get me to cry, Jon? Just spit it out if you trying to get me to cry. Yeah, I’m emotional, but it’s kind of difficult because we still have a season to play. You know, it might be different if it was the end of the year, but right now, yeah, I have feelings, um… (laughing) you know what I’m saying. I’m not emotionally stunted. You know, there’s feelings there, but, um, yeah, I think I’ve just been pretty good at trying to hide my emotions throughout the years. I try to have the same demeanor each and every day.

RUSH: It used to be called manliness, folks. For those of you that may not know, Derek Jeter’s a man. You used to hide your emotions. Now that’s not cool. Now you not only wear your feelings, you broadcast ’em, you act ’em out. That’s the new manliness. And he’s saying, I’m not going there. So another unidentified correspondent kept at this. They wouldn’t let go. And now they’re looking at him almost with some air of suspicion because he will not vomit his emotions at them.

REPORTER: You said you’re an emotional guy like everybody else. You’ve done a good job of hiding it and protecting it. How have you done that? And has that been difficult for you? Because a lot of people don’t do that.

JETER: You’re gonna fail more than you succeed. If you’re not able to keep your emotions in check, then I think it’s kind of difficult to come to the field every day. I just think that’s the only way to maintain — I guess to have sustainability in this game is to keep your emotions in check.

RUSH: Now, it’s important to listen to that. You’re listening to one of the best. You’re listening to a champion. You’re listening to somebody who excels, and he admits, in this game, you fail more than you succeed. You can’t lose it. You’ve got to come back the next day. You can’t get down on yourself. Even if you hit .350. That means 65% of the time you’re making an out. You fail more than you succeed. You lose more than you win. You’ve got to keep your emotions in check. But that’s just not manly anymore. And these reporters, it kept going. I mean, they’re not understanding it, folks.